1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interior wall systems used to partition large rooms into smaller offices and storage rooms.
2. The Prior Art
Most large office buildings are typically erected with only the exterior and a few load bearing interior walls being completed. The additional interior walls are later added depending on the needs of the occupants. One such interior wall system is disclosed in Belgian Pat. No. 511,174. This system utilizes top and bottom metal rails onto which longitudinal metal support members are bolted. Wall panels are attached to the support members by inserting T-shaped clamps between adjoining panels, the clamps being anchored in a groove in the support members. This system is time-consuming to install because the members making up the framing structure are complex in comparison with other systems, thus also increasing the cost of this system.
Another type of known interior wall system comprises a framing structure of U-shaped channel members into which prefinished wall panels are inserted. This system requires that the U channels be made of heavy gauge metal to prevent the side flanges of the U channels from deforming which would allow the wall panels to fall out. Also, this type of interior wall system typically does not adequately keep out noise from one room to the next, nor is it very sturdy.
Interior walls can also be constructed according to conventional techniques wherein wooden or metal studs extend from floor to ceiling at regularly spaced intervals. Wall panels are then nailed or screwed to the studs. This type of construction requires additional work to cover the holes created by the nails to achieve a finished look. This finishing requires considerable time and therefore, considerable expense. Additionally, this type of wall cannot be taken down or moved without severely damaging the materials used to construct the walls.
Other problems are also associated with the currently known types of systems for constructing interior walls. For example, the spacing between opposing walls is not readily variable in any of the systems. It is often advantageous to increase the spacing between the sides of the walls to accommodate pipes, wires, or other features. Moreover, most of the prior art systems that can be easily taken down and moved do not provide walls having an adequate sound barrier, or which are very sturdy.
It would therefore be a significant advancement in the art to provide an interior wall system which can be easily and inexpensively assembled, which is sturdy and which provides an adequate sound barrier. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide an interior wall system in which the space between opposing walls can easily be adjusted to accommodate pipes and wires which must be concealed within the wall.